Once Again
by Kasai-Sama
Summary: <html><head></head>He'd be lying if he said he'd expected this. And yet somehow, in the midst of it all, he'd fallen in love with her. AusHun</html>
1. Chapter 1

It had started out with a name.

The strange thing was, that piece of information ought to have been insignificant, and ought not to have crossed his mind in the first place. Nations did not bother with the names they all knew they possessed because to do so meant suggesting that they were human in a sense, and that was an idea bordering on insanity. Even carefree, cowardly Italy didn't bother to breach the subject, although Austria was certain he'd considered it once or twice. The man (more like a child, rather, even after all these centuries) was nothing short of an idealist.

Although, Austria supposed, he was being a tad bit hypocritical. After all, he wouldn't deny having given into idealistic thoughts every once and awhile, although he only allowed himself the pleasure when he was alone and without his own home, of which he was neither right now.

Looking up from the book on his lap, the pianist stole a quick glance to the man sitting on the couch to his left. Germany did not notice, sitting as he was on the couch, one hand holding a book on military tactics while the other draped itself lazy on the back of the sofa. He had his right leg resting on his thigh and he face was relaxed in a look of sleepy boredom. He hadn't turned the page recently, and Austria wondered to himself if the man simply wasn't trying to occupy himself with _something_ for a little while until he could return to the large pile of work that no doubt awaited him in his study. Centuries since the Second World War had ended and the man still spent hours on paperwork that most nations (he might be so inclined to include himself if it weren't so incriminating) tended to rush through half finished.

It wasn't like their bosses truly paid attention to what they did anymore. Austria had to dwell on it for a few minutes before he could even remember who currently held the seat of power in his country (or him, rather). Austria had been present at the ceremony as custom dictated, and hadn't seen or spoken with the man since. And really, he wasn't going to waste time better spent on music if no one was going to notice. Not if it meant more time for him to relax with the piano.

His gaze left Germany and instead fell on the man sitting directly across the coffee table from him in the other loveseat. Prussia had, with no care for posture or presentation, draped himself over the arms on the chair, one arm tossed carelessly over his stomach, the other hanging over the side of the chair. A book (Austria thought better than to look at the title or contents) lay open over his face and he was snoring lightly, his pet bird fast asleep in the nest of his hair.

Germany hated the bird, and once upon a time would have scolded the ex-Nation for letting it into the house because it would excite his dogs and create a mess. Today however, the dogs were outside and Germany had said nothing about the bird when Prussia had come downstairs. He never said much of anything against his elder brother anymore, although Austria had caught him glancing at the man once or twice, the looking speaking of the concern he wouldn't dare speak aloud.

Prussia was, ever so slowly, beginning to fade away.

It made sense that he would. He was no longer a nation, and there were only a handful of people who knew anything of his long gone language, culture or history. The vast land he had once ruled over had long since been divided amongst the current countries, and as far as the world was concerned, there was no reason for a physical manifestation of a non-existent country to exist anymore. Not even his adapting the German language and culture as his own was saving him now.

Of course, Prussia was never one to take something with anything less than his arrogant laughter and attitude, and dismissed his growing weakness and exhaustion as simply 'a phase'. He continued to cause trouble and chaos, even if it was in smaller amounts than expected, refused all forms of help when the weakness caught up with him, and dragged himself throughout each day, sometimes injured, sometimes on the brink of collapse, but always with his limitless pride intact.

Admirable as it was, it was still a sickening sight to see. He did not like Prussia, and was well aware that Prussia got more joy out of making him suffer than any other nation, but Prussia had lived his life fighting for his place, and even Austria couldn't deny how wrong it was for someone like him to die like this.

But they were nations, and nations were not eternal, even the powerful Roman Empire had not been spared. At some point, what was happening to Prussia would happen to all of them, and the world would continue to spin and people would continue to live. It was a hard, cold truth, but it was one that all of them had come to grips with long ago, and that was why no one, Prussia included, ever point blank mentioned what was happening. They simply waited for the day that Germany would wake up and find his older brother's bed cold and empty.

Maybe it was wrong, perhaps it was heartless.

But it was simply the way things were done.

Tearing his gaze away from the dying Nation, Austria returned to the book resting in his lap, but found himself unable to focus on the musical jargon in the text, too lost in thought to return to reading. Outside a bird chirped, a dog barked, and the clock struck three in the afternoon.

_Roderich Edelstein_

Austria stilled suddenly, the page crinkling as the book shifted in his grip and, no longer steadied by both hands, began to slip. At any other point he might have despaired over the slight tear in one of his normally immaculate music books, but he couldn't bring himself to notice, struck dumb by the this one thought of his normally straightforward, practical mind.

All nations had human names, useless as they happened to be. Austria could not remember how he had received this name or who had given it to him, it simply wasn't an important enough of a matter to give his full consideration to. He was Austria, official name Republik Österreich, a country known for its music, it art, and elaborate history. Why he even had a human name, he could not begin to guess.

Germany stirred on his left and Austria shifted his gaze to him, eyebrows lifting slightly in a questioning look as he noted the other man's expression. Germany's mouth was pressed into a troubled frown, his hands closing the book and setting it on the coffee table. Across from him, Prussia had also stirred and his looked mirrored his longer brother's in its confusion. Prussia began to shift, struggling to sit up and breathing harshly as he fought his exhaustion to pull his body upright. Both Austria and Germany knew better to offer any assistance, and so simply sat and waited for Prussia to right himself before simply staring at each other, saying nothing.

At any other time Austria might have simply dismissed the strange thought as a sign of exhaustion, or maybe boredom. Now, however, as he looked at his fellow nations, he began to feel a slight sense of dread. Germany looked serious (far more so than normal) and Prussia was making no attempt to dissolve the awkward silence with a crude joke or insult, as he normally would have in a similar situation. No one said anything. No one did anything.

_They recalled their human names too, didn't they…_

The nations stared at each other for a long while. Prussia had begun to wring his hands in a rare (and probably unconscious) sign of anxiety, and Germany was beginning to trace something on the polished wood of the table in front of them, lost in his own thought.

It made no sense. No sense that they should recall their human names, no sense that such a pointless thought should weight so heavily on them.

But it did.

And it was only the beginning.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next sign that something had begun to change appeared at the annual World Meeting. Austria could still remember when only eight countries needed to attend, and he could stay behind and simply wait for Germany to come home, often full of complaints about "those useless, arguing idiots". But in the current day, it had at one point been decided that, rather than a month meeting for a set of eight countries that rotated randomly, an annual meeting for everyone to attend was a better option. And so, on the 21st of September every year, he awoke, dressed, packed several important documents and papers into his issued briefcase, and waited in front of his house for Germany to come and take him to the location of the meeting (with Germany insisting the man would get lost if he ever tried to get there himself). Their status of nations granted them the ability of cross other countries with much more speed and efficiency than humans ever could. Last year's trip to Japan for the meeting had taken just shy of two hours with no sign of ocean that Austria could remember.

This year the meeting was set in Madrid, and he had received the Spain's red and gold reminder not two days ago (as if any of them could ever forget, but customs were customs). Germany was waiting by the door at two o clock sharp, as always, and the two Germanic nations greeted each other with silent nods before walking side by side to the car.

"We're probably going to arrive early" the other man noted as the car pulled out of Austria's driveway and into the street.

"We've always arrived early" Austria replied, crossing one leg over the other as he tugged uncomfortably at the tie wrapped around his neck. He couldn't recall when exactly it had been decided that formal wear would become the new dress-code as opposed to having the option of formal or traditional clothing, but he couldn't say he was found of the change. He was a practical man when it came to spending money (frugal, despite Prussia's insistence, was far too harsh a term in his opinion, if not true), and had managed to preserve clothes from centuries ago in perfect condition, if not a bit worn in some places. The navy dress shirt paired with the black slacks and tie were part of a collection of 'modern clothes' he'd felt obligated to purchase after the dress code had changed, but the fabric felt stiff and made him long for his coats and breeches still folded and sitting on his bed, waiting for his return.

"If you keep messing with that tie, you'll just have to re-do it again."

Austria grunted in reply, giving one final tug and sighing when it finally loosened. "I don't see why I would have to keep it tied while we're driving. I feel like I'm being strangled."

"And to think you hardly had it on in the first place. It's not supposed to be loose on the collar at all."

He chose not to dignify that comment; or its slightly bemused tone, with a reply, and instead opted to gaze at the window. He could no longer see the Alps from the review mirror, and the signs on the high way had already switched from Austrian to Swiss German, betraying the remarkable speed at which they were traveling. He could only hope that Switzerland had opted to leave earlier than they had. He wasn't in the mood to deal with getting shot at.

"Italy's not driving with us?"

"Ah, no. He and Romano left for Spain last night. They've probably long since settled in by now"

A soft snort. "I can imagine Spain must be overjoyed having them both to himself for the evening."

"He did sound pretty happy when I talked to him, even with Romano screaming in the background."

Austria hummed in response and left the conversation at that. The rest of the drive passed in silence, the nations silent in their own thoughts and the radio silent because their musical tastes were far too different to come to a common ground. After a while the signs began to switch into French, and eventually morphed into Spanish before his eyes and the two Germanic nations finally reached their country of destination.

Spain was in the possession of a beautiful country, and at this time of the year the temperature was mercifully mild and the sun high and bright in the sky. As their car pulled into the long driveway of Spain's house, Austria attempted to re-right his tie, finding it far more complicated a task then when he had struggled through it this morning.

"It'll be easier with a mirror" Germany remarked, grabbing his brief case from the backseat before unlocking and opening the car door. "Find the bathroom and fix it before you come to the meeting room. You have time."

Austria didn't bother replying, leaving the fabric hanging around his neck as he grabbed his own briefcase from the floor of the car and exiting with a grumble. Side by side the pair made their way to the entryway and Germany reached up to knock twice, two sharp staccato beats against the door. There was subtle shuffling, and the door opened. A young Spanish woman held the door open for them, bowing as they stepped into the hallway.

"_Hola_, señores. May I ask your titles so I can introduce you?"

Titles. Not names

Names…

_Roderich Edelstein_

"Señor? Señor, are you alright?

Austria jerked back to the present, blinking and staring at the maid, not quite comprehending what had just happened, and feeling surprisingly dazed. That name again…why had that come back up?

"Señor?"

"Ah…yes, I'm sorry. Republik Österreich" he answered, blinking a few times and shaking his head. "May I ask where I could find a washroom?"

"Yes, just down this hallway and to your left."

"Thank you. Germany, I'll see you in the meeting room in a few minutes"

Turning away from the pair and ignoring the somewhat concerned look Germany shot his way, Austria made his way down the hallway the maid had indicated, massaging his temples as he did so. This was completely ridiculous. To have gotten so lost in thought, to have gotten so distracted…over a name he never used, never bothered to remember? He was getting plenty of sleep, eating well, relaxing…so clearly it couldn't have been a health issue.

_So then, what happened back there? I remember my human name, some idiotic, insignificant name I never use for anything…and completely lose focus?_

Maybe it wasn't a health issue, but he even so…

_Perhaps I should consider going to sleep earlier._

And suddenly Austria was jolted out of his contemplation by the feeling of colliding with another body. He pitched backwards, his feet scrambling to regain themselves and his arms shot out for purchase to keep from falling, curling around something soft and warm (a shoulder?) as he regained his balance. The opposite party wasn't so lucky, Austria's weight pulling them forward and abruptly pushing them back again. Losing the battle for balance, the other fell on the ground with a soft grunt, Austria catching the wall of the narrow walkway just fast enough to avoid a similar fate.

"Austria?"

The ex-aristocrat pushed himself off of the wall and straightened up, wincing and turning to face the person on the ground. His stomach abruptly twisted itself with guilt as he recognized the young woman he had (although unintentionally) pushed to the floor. "Hungary!"

And Hungary laughed at the surprise in his voice, rising to her feet and straightening the dress she was wearing, beating it free of dust. In the back of his mind Austria noted how little the nation in front of him had changed since they had last met. She still preferred to leave her light brown hair lose around her shoulders and down her back, and her green eyes still held that lively, boyish sparkle so many had tried and failed to restrain behind elaborate gowns and strict regulations. The green of her button down dress was a few shades dark than her eyes and it complemented them well, the sleeves cut short to show her arms, slender, but well shaped from centuries of battles she had taken to fighting herself. They were a fair warning of the power deceptively hidden behind the good natured smile and sparkle in her eyes, and he distantly wondered how many men had been fooled and suffered the consequences once they had pushed their luck too far.

"I didn't expect to run into you quite like this" Hungary remarked, breaking Austria's chain of thought completely. She was still smiling, and Austria felt his body relax in the knowledge that at least he was safe from the anger of her frying pan. "It's nice to finally see you again, Austria"

"Hungary, I..I apologize." He answered in reply, his mind giving him a mental kick to remind him that yes, he was still in possession of his good manners and he _had_ just bowled her over in his haste and carelessness. "I was..lost in thought and became careless. Are you alright?"

She laughed, her hand going to cover her mouth in a gesture probably learned from their time as one nation, one of thousands of little details that had probably been drilled into her. But it didn't look forced and Austria reined his mind back to the present, warily of letting it stray after what had just happened. "Really now Austria, I'd hope you'd give me more credit than that. I fell, that's hardly enough to hurt me."

Her laughter quieted but her lips remain upturned in a smile. "I'm more worried about you, to be honest. The only time I've ever seen you lost in thought was when you were at your piano."

He could feel his face darken in embarrassment, and one hand went to the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. What was he supposed to say? That he had checked out and run right into her because he was thinking about a _name_? Maybe his reputation didn't depend so much on everyone's opinion so much anymore as he did in the past, but he didn't want to appear so light headed in front of one of the few nations of which he could say he had a solid respect for and friendship with.

"I've been a bit pressed for sleep as of late." he lied, and Hungary tilted her head to the side, watching him. "Lately I've been a bit scatterbrained. I truly am sorry though, Hungary."

"Don't be. Like I said, I really am happy to see you again."

"And I you." He replied. And indeed, he was happy to have found her amongst the crowd that would no doubt be waiting for them in the meeting hall. Since the cessation of their marriage and Hungary steadily growing as a nation, it had been harder and harder for them to meet with one another. Eventually, perhaps some forty years ago, then had settled on writing letters than head grown steadily shorter as more and more of Hungary's time was demanded by her country. They both knew not much could be done; a nation's obligation was always to their country before anything or anyone else. Even so, it was a disappointment. And with the ever growing and changing number of countries attending the annual meetings, finding one another in such a crowd was next to impossible. Eventually, the only thing to do was to declare their friendship a lost cause and move on.

It had been a bitter disappointment for him, and judging by the contemplative look now gracing Hungary's features it hadn't been pleasant for her either.

But now that they were both here, Austria felt a curious weight inside of him lift and allowed himself to smile, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose.

"It really has been too long, Hungary. I hope everything's been well with you."

"It has been" she replied, her solemn look vanishing almost instantly. "It's so been so busy up until now. Recently it's been really quiet, so I'm happy for the break. I can't remember the last time I could relax a bit."

"Coming to a meeting is relaxing?" he asked, chuckling a bit behind his hand in a mimic of Hungary's earlier action. "You truly must have been working hard. But I'm glad to hear you've been allotted a bit of a break."

"Likewise" she replied, flashing another smile before her green eyes landed on the tie still hanging loose around his neck. "Oh, your tie…"

_Oh, that's right_

"Ah, yes." Flushing, Austria lifted the two ends of the black fabric in his hands. "In truth that's why I had come down here in the first place, to see if I couldn't re-do it. I'm…well, obviously I'm not very familiar with modern formal wear."

His body tensed in expectance of a laugh or teasing remark, and was inwardly relieved when he received neither. Instead, Hungary took a few steps forward until she was directly in front of him; their fingers brushing as she gently claimed the fabric from his hands and began to knot the tie for him. Her fingers moved with practiced skill over the black silk, tying the knot properly before pushing it up to the base of his throat and smoothing the remainder of the fabric so that it hung neatly down his chest. He did nothing to stop her actions, his brain seemed to have come to a complete stop and didn't seem to have any intention of starting soon, even as Hungary backed away to inspect her work. Time seemed to stretch on for a painfully long time and Hungary made no move to speak. It made Austria surprisingly uncomfortable and after a few seconds he couldn't help but ask "Is something wrong?"

His question seemed to snap her out of some internal monologue and she looked back at him. It was hard to tell in the dim light of the hallway, but she appeared to have a slight dusting of pink across her cheekbones. "I'm sorry, it looks like you're not the only one getting lost in thought today. It's just…different seeing you dressed like this. It…suits you."

It was his face's turn to heat up now, and he turned to cough into his hand in hopes of deterring the effects of his blush. "Thank you. You look quite lovely as well today, Hungary."

And it wasn't a lie or compliment returned out of obligated politeness. She really did look beautiful. But that came as no surprised to him, Hungary had always appeared beautiful, even in the heat of the battle over Silesia back when they had been united. Her clothes might have been stained with enemy blood and her eyes might have been alight with battle lust, but even then, she had been beautiful

The dim lights of the hallway flashed twice briefly before brightening significantly and Austria pursed his lips, hand tightening on his briefcase. "I do believe that's our signal to head to the meeting room. They're probably wondering where we've wandered off to."

"Probably. I guess we spent more time talking than we'd realized." was the reply as Hungary stepped to his side, both of them turning to face the direction of the meeting room. "I left my files in the meeting room while I left to wash up. I'm seated at the far end of the table, so maybe it won't be as exciting as sitting up closer to Spain…but will you come and sit with me? We really didn't get much time to just…talk."

He turned to look at her, a bit surprised at the slightly tentative voice she had used to voice her request. Hungary did not turn away, and he looked into her eyes, wondering if he could find the answer to her caution within them. His country might have been wealthy and high in standard, but his was small and he had no real need to sit upfront where the larger and more prominent countries were apt to sit. Surely it would be obvious that he would prefer the advantage of her company over listening to Spain ramble and fall off topic again and again?

He had missed her, after all.

"I'd be a foolish man to turn down an offer of your company after so long." He answered, favoring her with a little smile and feeling inwardly satisfied as he saw the caution flee her eyes to be replaced with the relaxed confidence he had grown accustomed to finding there. "But we really should get going now"

He offered his free arm to her and answered her smile as she linked hers through it. Together, the pair began to walk down the hallway back to the meeting room, both inwardly pleased with running into each other once again.

_At least there was one positive outcome to getting so lost in thought earlier today._

Little did he know how much more complicated things were going to become.

x-x-x-x-x-x-

**And with that, we begin my first foray into Hetalia fanfiction, as well as my first chaptered fanfic in about three years. As you can see, I'm still trying to get a feel for the characters and so chances are there will be some (or a lot) or OOC moments. I hope despite that you'll give this story a chance. I'm not entirely sure why my first Hetalia story is AustriaxHungary, they probably rank third on my list of favorite pairings. But this idea kept bouncing around in my head, so finally I gave in and started it. I'm curious to see where it will go.**

**A few chapter notes and such. When I searched the Prussian language on Wikipedia, I found that, while it's considered a dead language, there's a small group of people trying to revive it. Old Prussian, or **_**Prūsiskan**_ **as it was called back in the day, was actually not a Germanic language, but Baltic. I'm assuming then, that Prussia would have adapted German language and culture because his own has pretty much been destroyed.**

**I'm a German major, so any German you see (be it standard German, Austrian, or Swiss) will be from my own knowledge. Anything else will be provided by the totally accurate Google Translate (lol). With these sources there will probably be a lot of mistakes, so please feel free to correct me if you see something that needs correcting and I'll correct it. This story also has no beta, so any English that needs correcting, please point that out to me as well. I'm not an English major and really can't call myself a writer either, so please go easy on me :)**

**Thanks for reading!  
>~KS<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

When the pair entered the main meeting hall a few minutes later, both were relieved to see that, while they had been proceeded by the majority of the countries invited to the meeting they were not the very last to arrive. A few chairs around the long oval table were still empty and Hungary slipped her arm out of Austria's and gestured to the southern end of the table where a briefcase sat in the middle of three vacant chairs. Belgium, Finland, and Estonia sat across them, but for the most part the majority of the nations had gravitated towards the front of the table, where countries like Russia and China claimed good seats based on size and power alone. Hungary might have also been able to claim a closer seat based on how well her country had been flourishing lately, but she looked perfectly content to head to the three empty chairs and give a small wave of her hand to beckon him over to join her there.

Claiming the host seat up front was Spain, looking overjoyed as he was, flanked by both Italys sitting close by his side in order to accommodate the growing number of countries by the north side of the table. Veneziano was chatting enthusiastically with Germany on his left, and judging by the sour look on France's face, he had been pushed aside to make room for the taller nation and thus no longer had access to his current conquest.

…although, judging from the way his gazed moved to the sulky Romano sitting on Spain's right, and the slow grin that spread across his face, he wouldn't be cross for long. Centuries and the man still hadn't learned where he was and wasn't wanted and what he could and could not touch.

Humming softly to himself, the Austrian nation lifted his briefcase to the table as he sat down, Hungary taking the seat to his right and doing the same. He shifted aside a few memos from his boss in favor of charts marking the stability of the Austrian economy, and also reached for a few notes detailing specific monetary exchanges between himself and a few other nations, primarily with Germany, Switzerland, and China. It was rare that the smaller countries spoke at the meetings unless there was something important enough for everyone in attendance to hear, but it never hurt to have documents ready on that chance that it did happen.

"I noticed Prussia isn't here today."

He turned to look at Hungary as he finished straightening his documents. Her face was carefully neutral and her body betrayed no inner emotion, but Austria knew her well enough by now to pick up on the smaller signs (inwardly pleased that even after their separation he could still take note of them) and could tell she was troubled by her rival's absence. Prussia was a frequent guest to most meetings, often claiming that Germany couldn't really manage without his older brother's help, and no one really thought to deny him that right. He made things interesting if anything else, and as long as he wasn't the direct target of his taunts Austria had long since halted his complaints against the ex nation's attendance.

"I happened to see him a few days ago when I called on Germany for a visit." He said in reply, and this time there was a definite shift in Hungary's eyes as she took in the information. He knew what she was going to ask before she opened her mouth, but allowed the question rather than cutting her off out of politeness.

"How was he? And please…don't say 'as to be expected' or something like that" she said softly, lowering her voice so that only he could hear and tightening her hands in the fabric of her skirt. "If there's any nation I trust to speak to me honestly about this, it's you."

And really, how could he deny her after saying that? A nation's dissolution wasn't supposed to be spoken of or brought up so bluntly, it was merely supposed to be taken as a natural course of life and more or less ignored until the country in question had faded completely. There might be mourning, people might grieve, but it was hardly a proper conversation as of now while Prussia was still 'alive', and especially not at a world meeting.

But the way Hungary was looking at him, with an urgency in her eyes that wasn't quite desperation tempered with determination to find an honest answer, he found he could not refuse her.

"You really care about him, don't you?"

It wasn't her answer, not yet, and Hungary frowned, sitting back in her chair as she considered the question. "I…it's complicated. I guess it's more that he's always been there. He's s constant. Even when we were younger and constantly fighting, he was the one who kept coming back to challenge me. I guess in an unorthodox sort of way…we could be called friends."

The last part was said in a slightly gruff voice and Austria fought the urge to smile.

_Well, I suppose that answers my question. _

"He's still moving and providing for himself on his own" he said, finally giving an answer to her previous question, the smile slipping from his face as he contemplated the current condition of the ex nation. "And he's still as proud and arrogant and foolish as ever."

She laughed softly at that, but her eyes remained serious and slightly uneasy. "But…?"

Of course she would pick up on the fact that he wasn't giving her the whole story. Really, he should have anticipated that, but he still found himself inwardly sighing at her perceptiveness and dreading the news he would have to give her.

"But his condition slips every day. He may refuse help, but it's not out of lack of need, rather pride. He sleeps constantly and has trouble moving himself around. Germany has said he's noticed his collection of pain medications decreasing and he thinks Prussia might be the culprit. Given the circumstances I imagine he's in quite a lot of pain. I'm sorry to have to say this, but I don't think it will be too long before he's unable to get out of bed in the morning. He's hanging on by the barest of threads right now."

Hungary's eyes darkened and Austria inwardly wondered if giving so much information so suddenly had been the best idea. But even as he contemplated he knew he never would have been able to hide such things from her, not when she asked him for information so bluntly. He had never wished her pain, but he could not lie to her, not over something like this.

"It's the way of things, isn't it?" she asked softly, shaking her head and smiling, thought it lacked any true happiness or conviction. "It can't be helped."

"It cannot" he agreed, knowing as she did that they were reading lines off a script set down centuries ago, and although both of them wanted to breach the subject a bit more, they both knew they had pushed the topic too far.

"He probably would hate for me to see him like that, so I won't visit." Her answer was sure, though he could tell even as the words left her mouth that she wanted badly to see for herself the situation of her rival. "Again, it just can't be helped."

And that was the end of the matter.

It shouldn't have bothered them so much, him especially. Countries were not supposed to forge bonds with other countries that mirrored those of humans, and in an ideal picture him and Prussia would not have this rivalry and Hungary would not be inwardly grieving at his oncoming death. Germany and Italy wouldn't be so close, England would not be bitter after losing America even centuries later, the Baltic trio would not fear Russia as they did, and Romano would have cut all ties with Spain after he and Veneziano had become their own country again.

But somewhere along the long lines of their lives they had found themselves breaking this rule. He still bitterly resented Prussia for defeating him and making off with Silesia despite Hungary's assistance, even thought all he should have done was dismiss it as something he couldn't control and forget about it. Prussia still took joy in annoying him, even thought after his win (or defeat, depending on how you looked at it) he ought to have focused on his own country and not have devoted so much time to bother him. If it wasn't an order from their boss, then it wasn't meant to be done.

And yet, they all had broken that rule at some point, hadn't they?

"I take it your economy has been doing well?" he finally asked, gesturing the papers Hungary had pulled out of her own briefcase. It was a last minute and foolish question in the midst of community where everyone knew everything, but she took the question for what it was and answered "It's been fine, thankfully. I think the last recession we had was some twenty years ago."

"I see."

"Yes. Although recently, I haven't received any papers from my boss regarding the economy…or much of anything, to be honest. I can only assume that things are well enough for him to handle it on his own, for now." She pressed her lips into a slight frown as she gestured to her open (and somewhat sparse) briefcase. "It's strange, but I guess I should be thankful for the break. What about you?"

"My work has been steadily decreasing as well over the last year or so." Austria shrugged his shoulders and straightened his own papers, frowning when he noted a few bent corners on official documents that ought to have been treated with more care. "But that's to be expected. With no war plaguing the world anymore I'm sure our leaders' workloads have grown lighter, which of course means our own workloads aren't so heavy. In truth I'm grateful for it. I enjoy having the time to play piano or bake without feeling rushed."

He hadn't meant his last statement to be a joke, but felt pleased when Hungary laughed, a real smile lighting her face and the spark returning to her eyes. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you'd spend all of your free time with your music or in the kitchen."

"You say that as though there are _better_ things I could be doing with my time."

"You could be keeping up with your fighting skills."

"In a world of peace? Why would I bother? I'd rather be productive, thank you."

"Baking cakes and charming the world with Bach or Chopin is what you call productive? I wonder about you sometimes, Austria."

"Don't think I can't figure out what you're insinuating. Don't you think that's a bit hypocritical, coming from a woman who could most likely fight and win against any of the men here?"

And that was it. In a way it was as if the past forty or fifty years had not happened, or if they had they had passed in a blur. Austria finally allowed himself to relax completely as he engaged in lighthearted, teasing conversation with Hungary while the pair waited for the meeting to begin. Despite the way the day had started, all things considered, he was glad to have run into her here. It was easier forget that not even an hour ago he'd be complete lost in his own head because of a name when speaking with her.

Although time was clearly not on their side anymore. A few minutes into their conversation and Spain was standing, waving his arms to gain the attention of the nations further down the table. Through the large windows across from him Austria could see the sun was beginning to set, and maids were standing to draw the curtains a bit so sun wouldn't get into their eyes and provide distraction while the meeting was in progress. He straightened up his papers one last time before turning his attention to his host.

"_¡Buenas tardes!" _Spain greeted the room, his arms now straight at his sides but his smile and voice no less vibrant than they had been a few seconds ago. "Thank you to all of you who could come to this year's world meeting. We'll try to wrap this up as quickly as we can so all of you can go home before night comes, so please remember not to speak unless you're called upon, and to remain quiet when someone else is talking. If you have something that needs to be said, please raise your hand so I can take your name down. If a topic is not relevant to a majority of the people seated here, it will not be brought forward for discussion, please address it more personally with the other nations it involves…"

It was the same speech given every year before a meeting, and he could see that most of the nations were already getting distracted, drumming their fingers or tapping their feet as they waited for Spain to finish the formalities so they could officially begin. Hungary was writing something down, Estonia was looking at the other two thirds of the Baltic trio flanking Russia with an _almost_ guilty expression and Spain had started speaking Spanish and…-

Wait.

Spanish?

"_También es importante recordar que los distintos continentes se han preocupaciones individuales, vamos a abordar estas si tenemos tiempo_…"

Austria had picked up a few words and phrases of Spanish from his brief marriage (if one could even call it that) to Spain all those years ago, but found he still could not understand anything the other nation was saying. He stole a glance at Hungary and noted that she looked equally confused; a glance down towards Spain showed the majority of the other nations with similar expressions. Only Veneziano and Romano appeared to have any idea of what was being said, and Romano's frown slowly deepened as the older Italian realized that it was not his native language that Spain was speaking.

"Spain, you bastard!" Romano growled, standing up with some difficult and pointing a finger at his once boss and caretaker. "Stop speaking in Spanish, damn it! No one can understand what the hell you're saying!"

Spain faltered, stopped, and slapped a hand over his mouth, face flushed and eyes wide as he realized that yes, he had been speaking in his own language and no one had been able to follow what he'd said. "I-I'm sorry! I hadn't even realized…"

"Don't worry about it." Germany insisted, frowning at Romano until the other nation sat down with a huff. "Just keep going"

Spain still looked deeply embarrassed as he proceeded to continue on with the welcoming speech, and perhaps it was rightfully so. There was a common language spoken by the nations that did not have roots anywhere else in the world, and very rarely did nations resort to their mother tongue. He and Germany might occasionally indulge in strictly German conversations once and while because Standard and Austrian German didn't differ too much, and Prussia had adopted German as his own when Old Prussian had died, but other than that most nations spoke only their own language and the 'national' language. Even Switzerland, who boasted four official languages in his country, often stuck to either Swiss German when speaking with Lichtenstein, or the national language for any other interactions. As nations did not interact with people often, their languages were often restricted to books or conversations with those of higher power. There really was no reason for him to have slipped into his native Spanish short of lack of sleep or illness, and he looked neither tired nor unhealthy at the present.

"Do you think he's ok?" Hungary inquired softly, looking at the flustered Spaniard with concern. Spain had managed to complete the remainder of his speech without another slip, but he was still uncomfortable by the looks of it. Austria watched as Romano leaned over to punch Spain in the shoulder and mutter something in his ear. Spain managed to both wince and smile at the same time before claiming the unwilling nation in a hug.

"It appears so."

Germany had moved to speak next, standing as Spain took his seat and greeting the other nations with a curt nod before going over a few changes in his economy that ran parallel to several other nations in Europe. Austria had heard most of it before and allowed the conversation to drift to the back of his head while he sipped at the glace of ice water that had awaited him at the empty seat. He knew that the Austrian economy was heavily influences by the status of Germany's own, but Germany had been willing to cover the important points on their way to Spain, and he wasn't terribly interested in hearing it a second time. His own economy was stable, the Austrian citizens were happy, and he really had no need to be here.

_Perhaps I should have called in sick and stayed home today. Beethoven's considerably more appealing than this right now._

But then again, his mind reminded him, he would not have (all too literally) run into Hungary had he not have attended today. Regardless of the length of the meeting, he would have to admit that had already made the whole day worthwhile.

And speaking of Hungary…

"Austria? Austria!" Hungary hissed softly, grabbing hold of his upper arm and shaking it to gain his attention. He blinked and gave his head a shake, mentally checking into Germany's conversation to figure at the current topic before apologizing to Hungary.

And he paused at the familiar, but slightly more robust tone of the Standard German that Germany was speaking that was once again leaving everyone confused.

_Again? How? Someone like Spain I could understand slipping up…_

_But Germany?_

"Ve, Germany" Veneziano began hesitantly, reaching up to grasp the standing man's arm and halt his talking. "You're speaking German and I can't understand what you're saying!"

The last part of the nation's statement ended in a high pitched whine and Germany flinched, looking around and noticing for the first time the bewildered looks on everyone's' faces. He coughed into a closed first, cheeks tinted pink, before letting out a gruff "sorry" and taking his seat. "That was all I wanted to say."

"Ah, Germany…perhaps you could give us the remainder of your speech starting from your notes on foreign exports? I believe that was where you slipped up." Spain voiced tentatively, arms still locked around a struggling Romano's waist. The nation was cursing angrily, no doubt hearing German having triggered his reaction and sudden (but not surprising) desire to lash out at Germany. Spain sighed and hefted the smaller nation into his lap, receiving a series of punches and curses now directed at him, but it provided the necessary distraction. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Yes, of course."

Germany rose again to continue his speech, but at this point many of the nations were uneasy and had turned to whisper amongst each other in favor of paying attention. As he tuned in briefly to some of the other conversations going on around him, he noted that Germany and Spain weren't the only ones suffering lingual slip ups. Estonia had to fumble a bit in his native Estonian before managing a reply to Belgium, who was able to answer back without slipping, but her accent was noticeably more prominent. Romano had stopped struggling and was now in deep conversation with Spain, clearly having forgotten where he was sitting and Spain having forgotten as host it was his job to keep the meeting on track. Even Germany ceased his speech early in favor of sitting and speaking with the other nations around him. He turned to face Hungary and noted with growing unease that, while it was not impossible for him to speak in the national tongue, the temptation to slip into Austrian German was surprisingly powerful.

"I don't think this meeting will be getting back on track anytime soon." He said honestly, gesturing with his hand to the quiet but somewhat chaotic mess the room had become. "No one seems to be in a hurry to call everyone back to order."

"Well, can you blame them?" she answered back. He voice was soft and Austria noted that her accent was much more prominent as well and realized that he had never heard her speak her native Hungarian before. "A word slip here or there, that's one thing. But switching languages in the middle of a speech without even realizing it…is Germany alright?"

"He seemed perfectly fine when he came to take me to the meeting this morning." Austria leaned back in his chair and frowned. "And Spain certainly seemed as energetic as ever."

"Maybe they're just better at hiding exhaustion."

"It would seem so."

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, the conversations going on around them keeping their silence from being too obvious. Austria didn't want to think about what was causing this all of a sudden, knowing full well that he was distracted enough as it were.

_Everyone must be tired. We've allowed ourselves to grow lazy with our sleeping schedules due to the lack of work and it's taking its toll on our ability to manage and participate in a meeting. That's all that it could be. That's the only option_

Even in his mind, he didn't sound convinced.

Pushing the topic into the back of his mind with some difficulty (it would come back to haunt him later, he was sure, but now was not the time), he turned again to face Hungary. "I'm planning on paying another visit to Germany's house in a few days for a bit of conversation and relaxation. Will you accompany me? I'm sure Italy would be delighted to see you, and I wouldn't mind enjoying your company without the worrisome chatter. I truly have missed you, Hungary"

_And you can see for yourself Prussia's current condition_

Her smile was enough to help push the troublesome thoughts further back into the recesses of his mind and he felt pleased when she answered his invitation with a little nod. "I've missed you too; it was so strange not having any form of contact with you for so long. I'd really enjoy seeing everyone again."

"They'll enjoy seeing you too, I'm sure."

Austria wanted to say more and was prepared to do so, but the sharp chime of a spoon against the glass of water Spain held in his hand was enough to distract him and turn his attention forward. The Spanish nation looked a bit uncomfortable suddenly being the center of attention once again, but he didn't falter, setting the glace down and clasping his hands together in front of him.

"Everyone, I've spoken with the majority of nations up front and it has been suggested we close the meeting and allow everyone to get some rest. If anyone has any issues that need to be addressed right now, or if there are other reasons you wish to bring up to continue the meeting, please bring them up now."

The announcement sent up a flurry of more chatter. Closing a meeting like that, so quickly…had that ever happened before?

But no one raised their hand, no one spoke up above the chatter, and it could safely be assumed than no one had any pressing matters than needed to be spoken of.

"Alright then" Spain reached behind him, grasping a sheet of paper and a pen. "Just like always, please sign with your official name next to your country's flag and make sure the sheet is returned to me once it's all filled out. I hope all of you have safe trips home. _Adios!_"

And with that casual and hasty farewell, the meeting was officially over.

"That was…fast" Hungary murmured, watching as the nations seated further up front leaned over to sign the paper that was being passed around. "We hardly covered anything. Is that even allowed?"

"Technically, if a majority votes on it, we can leave whenever we want. It's only tradition that keeps us repeating the same song and dance for these meetings year after year." Austria reached over to pack his papers away and close his briefcase. "But it's probably just as well. I can't imagine how we'd manage to get anything done with so many nations if we didn't have some sort of protocol to follow."

"I don't even want to try." She replied honestly. The paper was slid down her direction and Hungary took up the pen, signing the paper with her official country name and penning the accents with sharp, brisk movements once she had finished. Her hands, Austria noted, were not small, nor delicate as most women hoped for. Rather the palms were wide, her fingers long and strong and still slightly calloused, suggesting that she had never thought to put down her sword. They were warrior's hands that could cook and clean as well as they could bring down enemies with a single hit, though he was certain the former had been a learned behavior imposed on the other nation after they had been married politically. Had he ever really noticed that about her hands before? He had only held them a few times, and both their hands had been gloved when they were officially unified. And of course, those hands had showered many a punch on him when they were children and when he, like everyone else, had believed her to be a boy, but he wouldn't have had the mind to notice details like that.

They weren't typical women's hands in any sense of the word, but they suited her.

"…Austria, are you certain you're not sick? Other nations are waiting to sign the paper."

And once again, Austria had to claw himself from the recesses of his mind (her hands, of all things?) and pull himself back into the present. Hungary was staring at him with a mixture of amusement and concern written on her face, the paper and pen were now lying right in front of him, waiting. He felt his face heat up and he turned away, lifting the pen and quickly signing his signature next to the Austrian flag, directly under Hungary's, before sliding the paper down to a slightly irritated Netherlands, who did not look happy about having to wait. He then stood and gripped his briefcase in hand, waiting until Hungary did the same before the pair started for the main doorway. "I suppose I really haven't been sleeping as well as I thought I was. I'm so sorry about this Hungary, the first time we've been able to speak in so long and half the time I'm lost in my own head."

"It's alright." Hungary smiled, sliding her hand into his free arm, and he brought it up automatically, relaxing into the familiar position. "It seems like you aren't the only one who needs to rest up a little more, and I'll see you in a few days at Germany's, won't I?"

"Yes. We'll be getting together this coming Thursday, I would guess around two in the afternoon or so."

"Then don't worry about today. You can rest up and we can better catch up then, when we're not distracted by other matters."

She let go of his arm abruptly and Austria realized with a start that they had already reached the driveway where numerous cars were parked and waiting. The yard was dyed in orange from the beautiful Spanish sunset, but despite the brightness it had grown a bit chilly and he watched as Hungary wrapped her arms around her upper body before smiling at him, the wind picking up her hair and sending it flying about her face.

"It really was great to see you again Austria. Until Thursday?"

A bit startled by the sudden loss of warmth from his side, Austria paused a bit before smiling and giving a little bow. "Yes, of course. Please take care of yourself until then, Hungary, and have a safe trip back home."

"You do the same. Bye!" And with that, she turned and headed further down the driveway and Austria watched her retreating back for a little while, wondering if he should wait until he was certain she was in her car and safe before he gave himself a mental shake. Hungary had wiped out entire armies in her day; she was more than capable of reaching her car without his watching her. He could feel Germany's gaze in the back of his head and he turned to the younger nation and walked over, giving him a nod.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting."

"Not at all."

The pair walked over to Germany's car and took up the same positions as they had that their arrival. Austria let his briefcase fall between his legs after he sat down and began pulling irritably at his tie once again. Hungary had done a good job, he noted as he tugged at the black silk. It wasn't giving nearly as easily as it had done earlier today.

"I see you were able to clean yourself up properly." Germany had backed the car out of the driveway and within a few seconds they were driving away, giving nods to the few nations they passed who had parked further down the street. "I don't suppose Hungary had anything to do with that?"

"We happened to…run into each other on my way to the bathroom, and she was able to assist me." He muttered, finally managing to loosen the tie a bit so he could more easily access the main knot. "She was surprisingly skilled."

"Surprisingly?" And oh, he could _hear_ the smirk in Germany's voice without even having to look up. "She's probably tied a lot more than you have."

Austria opted to ignore both the tone of voice and the slight hit on his masculinity in favor of finally unknotting the tie (he was well aware that a man who played piano and liked to bake pastries didn't rank very high on the masculinity scale, but he really couldn't bring himself to be bothered with something so insignificant). "I took the liberty of inviting her to our gathering on Thursday. I hope that won't pose a problem."

"Not at all. Italy will be thrilled to see her."

"I figured as much."

"The two of you seemed to catch up pretty fast despite not having seen each other. You guys aren't still married, are you?"

"We were never 'married' in today's sense of the word. It was a union made for purely political purposes imposed on us by our leaders at the time, it was just fortunate that we were able to get along as well as we did."

Germany hummed in understanding and the pair lapsed into silence. They were already in French territory and Austria allowed himself to sink down further into his seat as he gazed out the window. He was going to go home, devote an hour or so to his piano, and then turn in to bed. He could only hope that the other nations were having similar thoughts, and that today's lingual slips would be the last strange occurrence to happen for awhile.

He'd rather not have to worry about checking out so often when he saw Hungary again on Thursday.

x-x-x-x-

**And with that, here's chapter two. Thank you so much to those of you who read, faved, put this story on alert, and reviewed. This is more an experiment for me than anything, but I'm glad there are people who're enjoying it :)**

**I read somewhere that the nations use English to communicate with one another, but I remember in one episode England was teaching Japan English, even though Japan had interacted with several other nations before that. I'm still a bit confused on the matter, so for the sake of simplicity the nations have their own language that they speak amongst each other. If I'm wrong on this somehow, please let me know. The fact that everyone's starting to slip language wise does actually fit in with the plot though.**

**I also apologize for using both 'Italy' and 'Veneciano' at this point in the story. I prefer using Italy just because that's how he's called by the other nations, but it seems weird to call him Italy when Romano's in the scene because Romano's Italy too :/. But for the majority of the story (possibly even by the next chapter) they will be referred to strictly by their human names, so that should clear up any confusion.**

**And I also think the chapters seem a bit rushed. I promise I'm trying to work on that.**

**Personally, I think a cake baking pianist sounds very manly…**

**Anyways! Thank you to those of you who are keeping an eye on this story. See you next chapter! :)  
>~KS<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning tore Austria from his sleep with the help of the bright light of the sunrise and the nation groaned; instinctively turning to face away from the offending glare as he slowly opened his eyes. A bird chirped somewhere outside his home and the clock hanging on the wall opposite his bed ticked slowly. It was early, far too early to be awake if the sun was just beginning to rise, but Austria knew better than to think he could fall back asleep after just waking up. He grunted softly as he pushed himself into a sitting position, the cream colored sheets pooling around his waist as he glanced at the clock. 5:13 am. Over two hours before he was normally up because he had forgotten to draw the curtains again last night. He sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed, reaching for the bathrobe hanging on the bed post and sliding his sleeping pants off before standing and walking over to the adjacent bathroom.

The last few centuries had posed a problem to the young ex-aristocrat as the world around him slowly changed and modernized itself to fit the demands of the growing population. Austria wouldn't necessarily call himself old fashioned (although everyone else would) but he was a simple man, and didn't mind taking a few extra hours to finish something in favor of purchasing some ridiculously expensive implement that went out of style almost as soon as it came off the shelf. But even he couldn't deny the necessity for some of the modern technology's tools, given the time and his current situation. His house was a delicate balance of modern and old fashioned, wired with electricity but more often lit by burning lamps, and still built like the beautiful manor he'd owned long ago, if not on a somewhat smaller scale. The bathroom however, being tucked away where most people didn't wander, was as modern as could be, and Austria winced slightly as he flipped on the switch and was temporarily blinded by the fluorescent light reflecting off the white tile. Blinking away the spots from his eyes, Austria stepped over to the mirror that overtook the wall to his left and leaned over the sink, gazing at his reflection.

_I look like I haven't gotten a decent rest in months_

His face was pale and there were shadows under his eyes, still half lidded from exhaustion. He let his head rest against the cool glass, for once without care of the smudges it would leave there.

Occasionally there would be a few days at a time where he would find it hard to sleep, and he would toss and turn in his bed for the majority of the night only to rise on only an hour or so of rest. When that happened he spent the day with a cup of tea or a mélange in hand in order to get through the day, pushing through the paperwork and figures until he could fall into bed again. But even days like that didn't leave him looking so utterly defeated. Had he a few bruises and slashes on his body he would have thought he'd just come back from a civil war. And lost.

His hands fumbled about the silver faucet until he could finally grip and pull, releasing a stream of cold water into the sink. Cupping his hands under the spray Austria drew the water to his face and splashed it once, twice, three times before patting his face dry with a towel. It didn't do much for his completion or shadows, but at least he looked a bit more alert. The cool water trickling down his face soothed him a bit from his tired and troubled thoughts and he pushed himself away from the mirror to move to the shower. He would never admit it to anyone, but he thought there was some merit in having a way to bathe faster than sitting in a tub, and it was with this thought in mind that he shed his robe, folded it neatly on the tub side, and stepped into the hot spray.

As the water beat against his back Austria relaxed instinctively, closing his eyes and tipping his head back into the spray. It seemed ridiculous to bathe so early in the morning, but lazing about in bed watching time pass didn't seem like a better alternative, and he couldn't stand the idea of lying around looking as ill he did. He brought his head forward again and looked at the small mirror that hung on the other side of the shower. The hot water had brought a bit of color back into his face, but he still looked listless and tired. His hair was slicked against his face, Mariazell bouncing under the weight of the falling water but still standing proudly. With a sigh Austria reached up to press the errant hair down, but like a rebellious child it would not yield. It looked ridiculous, but he wouldn't waste too much time on a lock of hair, of all things. He let his hands drop abruptly to his sides, his head dropping forward as he leaned against the cool marble.

Today was the day he was to meet at Germany's for a bit of relaxation, and although it had been but two days from the world meeting it had felt as though today would never come. Austria had spend the few days glued to his laptop (another modern implement he'd taken in to his possession a few years ago) tracking financial records and stocks and public opinions surveys for hours on end. It wasn't like him to be so careful and devote so much time, but lately…

No. _No_. He was _not_ feeling detached from the Austrian country. He _was _the Austrian country. Republik Österreich. The Republic of Austria.

He wasn't feeling detached. He _couldn't_ feel detached. He was just…

Tired.

And so had spent extra time to compensate.

Never mind the fact that he felt nervous whenever he was away from his information for too long. Never mind that he ought to have been able to pull figures like this from his mind without so much as a glance at the computer. Never mind that the sheet music turned to numbers and symbols the minute he put his fingers to the piano.

Exhaustion did that to people.

Not convinced but no longer willing to contemplate the notion further, Austria reached for the bar of soap and closed the shower door.

x-x-x-x-x

There was never a time when he couldn't play piano.

Throughout his long life Austria had often heard people claim that certain hobbies couldn't be done when one was stressed or angry, yet he himself had never had this problem. Whether he was angry, sad, happy, confused, even when he was nervous or frightened, he could put his fingers to the ivory keys and music would flow easily from the beautiful instrument to fill the entire house. He supposed it could be chalked up to experience (being over one thousand years old had given him plenty of time to improve) but even when he was younger and playing alongside composers like Mozart and Beethoven he could never find an emotion that hindered his ear for music.

When he was happy, his music was light and simple.

When he was afraid or unsettled, his music became sharp and erratic.

When he was angry, his music was fast, turbulent, and foreboding.

His music had often been a good indicator of his mood and often played a role in deciding whether it was safe to bother him. Austria was well aware of this and so did not regret displaying his emotions so blatantly.

But when he himself couldn't put a name on what he was feeling the notes had a tendency to change rapidly from one tone to the next as if they were trying to help the musician decide exactly what was going on within his head. During times like these Austria often found himself lost within his own mind as he tried to sort through his emotions. He could see his hands flow over the keys, never once breaking their pace or striking an errant note, but it was like watching someone else's hands move and create music. He often paid no attention to anything around him and, unbeknownst to him, it was the time when he music was the most raw, and yet beautiful.

And from the minute Austria had finished his shower and dressed, glasses perched neatly on his face and clothing smoothed free from wrinkles that was how his music had sounded. He had tried to keep his mind focused strictly on the sheets in front of him, but it was a melody he had played countless times before and soon he found himself watching his hands as though they were a separate entity, his mind having left the music altogether.

The music room, a small and beautiful space tucked away in the left corner of his home, was the only room he had refused to change at all throughout his time. Electricity did not run in this room, there were no outlets for any modern devices, and the only way to control the temperature was to light the fireplace on the far side of the room or open the large windows that took up the southern wall. He kept the walls hung with paintings, some of them purchases he had acquired centuries ago, others thoughtful gifts from Italy from birthdays or Christmases long gone. Even the piano was still the same one he had owned long ago, the keys still ivory and the wood still polished to perfection. Admittedly frugal by nature, Austria was well practiced in keeping things in good condition and making them last, but even if he weren't he was certain he would have done everything to give his piano the best care he could. Prussia might have made a few vulgar comments about just 'how much' and 'in what way' Austria loved the instrument, but the ex-aristocrat simply took care of the things that brought him pleasure in life.

The room might be old fashioned, and it might be too hot on some days and too cold on others.

But he wouldn't dare modernized something that was already perfect.

The piece he was playing finished under his gaze and a new one started up just as quickly, the transition so smooth it was almost as though they were a single melody. It was a light and cheery piece, but Austria was no longer paying enough attention to identify its name. Rather, his thoughts had turned once again to the strange events that had been occurring the past week, starting with the sudden remembering of his name and ending with the sudden need to check outside sources for news about _himself_. As much as he wanted to keep his thoughts limited to seeing Hungary and enjoying a few lazy chats with friends, it was hard to avoid.

_And my notes were written in Austrian German yesterday, yet I didn't realize it until this morning. I can still write them in the National Tongue, but it demands extra thought and effort. Why? I've never had to think so hard to write in my own tongue…it's more my first language than German ever was._

…_right?_

His fingers swept across the piano for a glissando before performing a few staccato triplets.

_This wouldn't bother me so much if something weren't wrong…but this is the most peaceful era the world has ever seen…_

Crescendo. Slur four eight notes. Decrescendo.

_The economy's fine, politics are going well, the people are happy._

Key change. Time signature change. Key of e-flat. ¾ time

_No other country is having a crisis. Had that been the case, we all would have known_

Fermata

_What's happening to everyone. What's __**going**__ to happen to everyone?_

"Austria?"

The sound of another voice snapped Austria out of his state of mind, his fingers startling and crashing down in a way that made him wince at the poor mixture of notes. Shaking his head and massaging his throbbing hands, Austria turned to face the woman in the doorway.

"Hungary! What are you doing here?" he asked stupidly, blinking at her and pushing his glasses up onto his nose from where they had slid during his performance and he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Well, you did invite me here."

Ah yes. He had contacted her shortly after the meeting and asked her to accompany him together to Germany's.

And he was well known for calling _other_ people idiots.

Hungary had pushed herself up from where she had been leaning in the doorway and walked over to him, a small and amused smile on her face as she contemplated the situation in front of her. She was wearing another dress again today, he noted with mild surprise, cut in a similar style and colored pale yellow. Why she had not reverted to a blouse and pants the second their alliance had been dissolved, he could not guess. He would have sworn she would opt never to wear a skirt again if she could help it, yet she seemed content enough in her current attire.

"That was one of Liszt's pieces, wasn't it?" she asked when she reached his side, leaning over his shoulder in the familiar position they had taken up countless times before. "Or at least, it started as one."

"Ah yes, it…started?"

"You started improvising about halfway through."

"Halfway…how long were you standing there?"

He could have sworn he saw her cheeks color, but her eyes remained steady on his and her voice didn't waver. "About when you started improvising. I knocked on your door and rang the bell a few times beforehand; you must not have heard me. But the door was unlocked, so…"

And now both of them were blushing, Hungary from slight embarrassment and Austria from shame. He had known Hungary would be coming, had even written the time down so he would not forget and would be prepared for her arrival. Yet there they were, Austria having only just come back from wandering in his own head and Hungary having to let herself in because he had been so careless.

He truly had become lazy in his manners, and was rightfully ashamed.

"Hungary…I am truly sorry. I hadn't realized I'd spent so much time at the piano and was unable to greet you properly." he murmured miserably, finding it hard to look at her now as he stood up and closed the lid carefully over the piano keys. Had it been a onetime occurrence he might not have taken it so hard, but after the way he'd treated her at the meeting…what was wrong with him? "I…how are you?"

"I'm fine. And Austria?"

He found himself unable to meet her eyes, still shamed as he nodded in her general direction.

"It's fine. I know probably more than anyone how into your piano you can get. Stop looking like a kicked puppy! It makes me feel guilty!"

One hand, warn and strong, cupped under his chin and brought his face up until he could meet her face. She was still smiling, her green eyes glittering in that way they always would when Hungary found something amusing. "Surely someone as classy as you knows it's rude to avoid meeting someone's eyes when you're speaking to them?"

If he had been blushing before, it was nothing compared to his embarrassment now. Even so, he couldn't help but smile as he caught her hand in his and drew it away from his face. He was forgiven, had never been held guilty in the first place, and even though Austria believed her deserved more anger or at least frustration, he found himself quickly growing at ease. It was hard after all, to stay so formal in the presence of someone he'd known almost two millennia. "You're right, I'm sorry. I suppose I'd forgotten how often we've found ourselves in this situation."

"If it's any consolation, it sounded beautiful."

He chuckled at that, lifting the sheet music from the piano and crossing the room to the cabinets to file it away. "It might be if you didn't say the same thing about everything I play."

"I only say it because it's the truth."

"Surely you wouldn't call mistakes and idly notes beautiful?"

"Surely you wouldn't call me a liar?"

The look she shot him from across the room was challenging, and he was certain his eyes mirrored the same expression, although it was ruined slightly by the first genuine smile to cross his face all morning.

Yes. He had truly missed this

"You've put me in a bit of a bind, Hungary. I wouldn't dare call you a liar, it wouldn't be proper. But I can't say I believe you either."

She snorted, hand going up almost unconsciously to cover her mouth even though the sound had already passed. "But aren't you calling me a liar anyway? Just not directly."

"I stated my opinion in the most polite way that I could."

And there. There was her laugh and smile. "Of course. "

She moved towards the piano and ran her fingers along the top of the protective lid covering the keys, and he found himself warmed by the reverence in which she touched the instrument and the admiration in her voice when she spoke again. "It's beautiful…but surely it isn't the same one from all those years ago?"

"The very same" he answered, walking over until he was standing at her side. He reached a hand down and lifted the case, and Hungary, after shooting him a questioning glance, tentatively brushed her fingers along the ivory. "I've had countless collectors come and attempt to buy it from me, its value in this day and age is remarkable. But they see it as a collection piece, a bragging right. I won't have this piano lowered to such a status. It's…it's far too important to me."

Hungary gave a little nod, but did not look up from where her eyes had fallen. With one finger she pressed down on a key and the c-natural rang crystal clear throughout the room. "Beautiful"

"You say that about everything, it seems."

She shrugged and straightened, but when he moved to close the lid her hands shot out and stilled his. "Wait."

He paused, hands balancing the lid so that it was halfway closed over the keys. He turned to look at her, brow furrowing in confusion when he noted she looked almost hesitant. "What is it?"

She bit her lip and wrung her hands, looking to the side. It was strange to see her looking so anxious and as he was opening his mouth to ask if she was alright, she voiced her request. "Well, I feel bad that I interrupted your playing, and we still have some time left before we have to leave…so will you play a little more?"

His mouth closed abruptly but his lips turned up into a little smile. Shaking his head, Austria reached out and grasped her hand, giving a little tug. "It's a bit hypocritical of you to chastise me for avoiding your gaze earlier when you're doing the same to me now. Especially since you have no need to."

She smiled at that and he inwardly relaxed when she turned to face him again, no longer looking uncomfortable. "You're right, sorry. I guess…it's just been a while since I've heard you play and listening to you from outside the house isn't quite as nice"

He flushed, once again reminded of his earlier mishap and lack of attention. "I suppose I do owe you for that."

He shifted the piano bench back out and sat upon it, pushing the lid back up until the keys were once more open to the room. He trailed a finger over the smooth ivory and let his hands play a few idle notes before letting the music fade into the room and turning to face Hungary again. "Was there something in particular you wanted me to play for you?"

She moved to her place slightly behind him, the positions almost timeless and bringing a sense of nostalgia to both nations as they settled into their places. She hummed quietly as her fingers drummed on her crossed arms, considering her choices, and Austria realized that, though familiar, being unable to see Hungary after having reunited unsettled him.

How long would they have to wait to see each other after today's gathering was over?

Surely it wouldn't be another half a century, but still…

"Wait." he commanded softly, he tone almost matching that of Hungary's earlier plea. He set his hands in his lap and turned halfway around so he could look up at her. She was standing close enough that he could feel the fabric of her skirt brush his arm as he turned. "I'm playing a selection of your choice for you, it isn't proper to have you standing like there like that. Come and join me on the bench."

He inwardly winced when he realized how harsh that last sentence might have been interpreted, especially by someone like Hungary who might resent any order given to her. However, Hungary didn't appear to take it that way, only smiled and carefully took a seat beside him. The piano bench was small, he couch feel their thighs brush and settle against each other. He shifted a bit to the left to accommodate her a bit more, but he could only move so far. Hungary didn't seem to mind how close they were, and he'd be lying if he said he was troubled by it either.

"Now then…what shall I play for you?"

She pressed her lips together and tilted her head to the side as if considering. Her hair was loose as he felt it brush against his shoulder as she straightened up again. "Do you remember that piece you played after the war?"

The war…

They had seen several wars together in their long lives, but somehow Austria instinctively knew she was speaking of the War of Austrian Succession, the war in which she had fought for him, and the war that had succeeded their political marriage.

_And he did remember. It had been mere days after the war had concluded, and he had barely been able to move when all was said and done. Hungary and her army had saved them from a horribly embarrassing defeat at Prussia's hands, and Maria Theresa was now safe and secure on her throne, but it had not been without consequences. It had taken him far longer to reach the piano room than normal, and he was certain that a few of his wounds had reopened under their bandages from the rough and careless way he moved._

_But he didn't care. He had fought and been fought, had his body broken and damaged almost to the point of crippling him permanently and had laid there in agony because he was a nation and nations __**could not**__ die. He had done the best he could to keep enemies away from Hungary while she took her men to the heart of the attack, and when all was over he had lain there, staying at the sky (so beautiful) in a pool of enemy blood._

_And now, all he wanted to do was play his piano and try to forget what he had seen, what he had __**done**__._

_When he had finally managed to reach the music room, he paused to lean against the doorway and catch his breath, suddenly worn out and completely exhausted from the brief walk. His fingers tightened on the door as he felt himself pitch, thankfully, he was able to regain his balance before he fell to the floor in a heap._

_Taking another deep breath, Austria pushed himself off of the doorway and, swaying awkwardly, limped over to the piano. He took his seat with a wince, feeling a cut across his back stretch with the motion and something warm begin to leak down._

_But he didn't care. He only lifted the case and began to play, not even bothering to check if the instrument was in tune._

_Let it be out of tune. Let the music be turbulent, angry, even ugly._

_That was what war was, after all._

_The music swirled around him like a storm, bittersweet in the way it both comforted and repulsed him. His fingers were still stiff from gripping a sword but he did not allow this to hinder him, pushing his hands to the point of agonizing pain. _

_Let it hurt. A song for war should never be pain free_

_It was only when the skin began to break that he let the song end abruptly in a fermata that tore his soul apart and mended it all at once._

_He couldn't bear to stain with blood the one pure thing in his life right now._

_His clothes were soaked with blood now, he realized dimly as he stood, vision swaying as he carefully closed the lid and attempted to make his way back to his chamber. It had been short, but he had managed to do what he had come to do, and although his body ached with pain he felt oddly at peace now that he had torn through the barrier of war and allowed the music back._

_So long as he had his music, he would be able to stand and fight again._

_He was still smiling when his eyes closed, body falling into warm arms while a female voice called his name, plunging into the dark._

"I remember" he answered softly, and he could see out of the corner of his eye that Hungary was looking unusually serious, no doubt have recalled the same memory as he had. He let his fingers rest on the keys, eyes closed as he recalled the beautiful, horrible piece that he had torn from himself that day, and what it had cost him to do it. "I can remember and play it, but it won't…it won't be the same. As you no doubt remember, emotions were high at the time."

"I know. Still, if you can remember it…"

And so he played. And it wasn't the same, but as he lost himself within the music Austria found that somehow he was still content just the same, and wondered if it had less to do with the music and more so with the woman sitting next to him now, just as lost as he was.

x-x-x-x-

"I thought you said the walk would take two hours."

Hungary's lips were tilted up in a teasing grin as she glanced sidewise at Austria, her hand slipping out from his arm as she stepped up to the door, fingers hovering over the doorbell. Austria sighed and moved back to her side again, shaking his head. "You know I don't do well with directions, Hungary."

"But it took us only a half an hour!" she answered back gleefully, throwing her head back and laughing fully at his expense. It was hard to stay made at her when she looked so happy, but still…

Austria could never figure out exactly _why_ it took him such a long time to reach a place he had visited countless times before, but it was something he had long since gotten used to and he was used to making accommodations so as to not arrive too late. It had been with this mindset that he had suggested leaving after he had finished playing; not taking into account that fact that Hungary obviously had a better sense of direction than he did.

"There's nothing wrong with pausing to enjoy one's surroundings when one is enjoying a walk." he insisting, turning his face away in a vain attempt to salvage his pride. Hungary must have picked up on his, because her laughter faded into slight giggling and she reached up and took his face in her hands, turning it back towards her."Oh, quit sulking. It doesn't suit you at all."

"I'll have you know I was not sulking."

"I'm sure."

"Hungary…"

"Yes?"

Her hands dropped from his face, but her eyes still sparkled with innocent humor, and he found himself unable to chastise her further, instead opting to sigh and reach for the doorbell, pressing it once. "You're going to be the death of me."

"You used to say that all the time when we were younger. You look fine to me."

"It's been a very slow, painful death."

"Hey now!"

She gave him a light shoved and when he had recovered he joined her in laughter, shaking his head. Light and childish as it was, he truly enjoyed bantering with Hungary again.

It was as they were recovering from their laughter, smiling at one another, the harsh slam of the door opening startled them both, heads snapping around to the doorway.

But the man standing there wasn't who they were expecting.

"Kesesesese! Well, look who actually showed up today! Need a lady on your arm to find your way around, specs?"

_What?_

x-x-x-x-x-

…**yeah, I think it's pretty apparent who answered the door, and it's also pretty apparent that I can't write him. But he plays a big part in the story later, so I'll do the best I can!**

**Anyways, thank you as always to those of you who favorited the story, and especially to those of you who left reviews. In particular, Vivian and Globalwarming left reviews on my birthday, so those were a nice surprise :)**

**I realize this chapter is kind of a filler, but I like to try and keep my chapter around 4000-5000 words, otherwise they feel too long. And to think when I first planned out this story, all, the events that happened up to this point, as well as those that will occur next time, were supposed to be one chapter. This chapter was also kind of hard to write, but exciting things will happen next chapter, in particular the reason why everyone's been acting so weird. I'm sure some of you already have an idea.**

**I hope you enjoyed this new installment, and I'm interested in seeing what you think. As always, thank you for reading! :)  
>~KS<strong>

**PS. It would be fantastic if someone would be willing to beta this for me. I'm not very good with catching smaller typos and I have a pretty unorthodox way of typing. If any of you are interested, please PM me. It'd make my life right now**


	4. Chapter 4

Austria wasn't one for holding grudges. As a nation who had lived for several centuries he found it not only childish but extremely inconvenient. Nations really didn't have any say in any action they took for or against one another, and if he had held a grudge against every nation that had done him wrong he would never be able to accomplish anything. History was a complicated tangle, and it was fairly likely that a nation that had wronged you in one century would be your closest ally the next. That wasn't to say that letting go was always easy, but as a rule it was what they were expected to do, and in almost all cases it was in everyone's best interest.

But this issue between him and Prussia was painfully different. He'd chalk it up to the ex-nation being an idiot and leave it that, but Austria knew that he rose to Prussia's taunts a little too often for it to be entirely one sided. It wasn't as though he wanted to be stuck in this never ending dance, but he was a proud nation and as long as Prussia insisted on bringing up the invasion and successful stealing of his 'vital regions' Austria knew he was going to snap back just as quickly.

And everyone knew the world would stop spinning before Prussia halted his teasing.

This was one grudge that neither of them were likely to let go (although it was less a grudge on Prussia's part and more a sort of satisfaction gained form seeing him suffer), and so Austria counted it as his one and only exception to his 'don't hold grudges rule'. It was a bit embarrassing to break a rule he had made himself…but really, what was the alternative?

When Prussia had started to show the effects of fading away permanently, Austria had found himself somewhat conflicted. He and Prussia had never done anything other than fight, but it was a fight that had spanned over centuries and the idea of a life without the constant banter between himself and the ex-nation was, surprisingly, a bleak one. It could be said that Austria had come as close as he could to _grieving_ the ex-nation's imminent death.

But seeing Prussia now, with red eyes that didn't hold even a whisper of his previous illness and a smirk (oh, that smirk!) that was no longer forced or heavy with exhaustion, sent any thoughts of pity, sympathy, or almost grief out the window, and coupled with the confusion he now felt (He was healthy, why, how, this wasn't supposed to happen), he felt himself growing angry.

And it felt good, because it was familiar and comfortable.

"Prussia." Austria murmured lowly, the name scraping through is lips in a hiss, but the named nation didn't turn to face him. Instead, Prussia had turned his red eyes and attention onto Hungary, and his smirk, if possible, grew bigger.

"Well, look at this." Prussia chuckled, his eyes lighting up as he raked the other nation's body. "And to think you said you'd never let yourself be domesticated, Hungary. And here you are, on the arm of a man and dressed up like a doll."

He let out another throaty laugh and Hungary stiffened, her eyes flickering with a fire reminiscent of the war she'd fought for him. Her fist curled at her sides, but to her credit she did nothing, perhaps internally recognizing that this wasn't a day and age where one could start a fight because of words alone. Even so, the aura around her was intimidating, and Austria felt the sudden urge to duck around Prussia and flee into the house if only so not to be caught in the cross fire that was slowly building.

Unfortunately, the ex-nation was unaware of, or simply too cocky to knowledge the change in atmosphere, and didn't halt his jabbing.

"Guess you finally realized your place in the world, huh? Making yourself pretty for us guys and keeping quiet. Only took ya a couple few centuries, but hey! Better late than never, right?"

In that instant several things happened at once. Prussia started laughing again, Austria opened his mouth to give Prussia _some _sort of warning because it was only fair, and Hungary let out a hissed "Oh, _fuck _it" before drawing her arm back and punching Prussia in the face.

He shouldn't have seen surprised at any of these events, but Austria found he could do nothing but stand there dumbfounded as Prussia stumbled backwards, hands over his face while Hungary stared at her own raised fist in a look that could only be described as mild surprise. Before either of them could say anything, Prussia straightened, putting on a smirk even as blood began to flow from his nose down his face, and started walking past them.

"I'm just so fucking awesome it brings tears to my eyes!" he proclaimed, laughing almost maniacally as his rounded a corner of Germany's house and disappeared into the forests behind it. He didn't stumble, or limp, never paused to cough. He was…

healthy.

_Why?_

"That was…surprising." He finally mumbled, turning back to Hungary as she finally lowered her hand and looked at him. She looked a bit embarrassed, but he couldn't find a trace of regret anywhere, and found that didn't surprise him. What did surprise him though, was when she titled her head back and let out another full laugh, louder and deeper than the one she'd had at his expense a few minutes before.

"You are the only person I know who can laugh like that after punching someone" he remarked dryly, but even so he smiled as he moved back to her side and placed a hand on her quivering shoulder. "Alright, enough."

She nodded in response and tried with mild difficulty to quiet her laughter. When she had lowered down to a few chuckles that escaped her mouth every now and again she smiled and crossed her arms, staring at the spot Prussia had vacated. "That felt good."

She cupped the guilty fist in her other hand and cracked it with a satisfied grunt.

Austria winced at the sound and looked at her strangely. "Should I be worried that you think it 'feels good' to punch someone like that?"

"Punch who like that?"

Both nations startled and turned as Germany rounded a corner inside the house and came into the foyer, giving a nod and the barest hint of a smile to both of them, although the confusion in his eyes suggested had heard the last few slices of their conversation. He was dressed in the same green army uniform from long ago, the jack open and hanging from his shoulders and green hat tilted awkwardly to the left on his head. Why he was dressed for war when the world had been at pace for decades, Austria could not guess.

But then again, it was _Germany_.

Hungary let her hands fall abruptly too her sides, looking slightly embarrassed, but still not regretful. "Oh, I…well…I punched your brother. In the face."

An awkward silence spanned out amongst the trio after Hungary's confession.

"...Sorry"

Austria watched with an inward sense of amusement as Germany's face contorted oddly. He didn't look angry, but he didn't seem to know how to react to the news.

Although, Austria figured it wasn't the first time Germany had heard _that_ particular sentence.

"Ah, well…" Germany let the sentence hang, rubbing the back of his neck. "Knowing him, he probably deserved it. Come on in."

Germany moved aside and Austria stepped forward, tugging on Hungary's arm when it looked like she was about to start laughing again. The foyer wasn't lit, but he knew Germany liked to save money where he could and would turn on lights in a room that wasn't in constant use. The pair followed Germany down the long hallway and as they turned towards the sitting room Hungary spoke up.

"Germany, why are you wearing military clothing?"

He couldn't really tell, but Austria was pretty sure Germany was blushing.

"Ah…Italy and I were out training today. I wore this out of habit."

_Ah of, course._

_And speaking of Italy…_

Germany pushed open the wooden door and almost immediately the pair were near blinded by the brightness. Germany's sitting room had windows that stretched from ceiling the floor and spilled sunlight over the hardwood floors and rugs laid under the coffee table and sofa. The table itself was glass supported by an iron frame and had been polished to perfection and set with pastry plates and cutlery. The room, not unlike his music room back home, had been hung with paintings, all of which had been framed and seemed to be in mint condition. The door leading from the sitting room to the kitchen was open, the sweet sent of chocolate and fresh fruit radiating from the doorway.

Sitting several feet away from it was Italy, lips pursed together in a rare and remarkable show of concentration, paintbrush suspended in midair as he alternated between looking out the window to back onto his canvas. Austria couldn't see the painting from where he was standing, but if he were to guess he would assume Italy was attempting to transport the beautiful garden view one could see through the largest window onto the canvas before him. For a moment the trio was content to watch the nation work, until it became apparent that he wasn't going to notice them anytime soon.

Germany cleared his throat, attempting to break the serious, rare as it were, mood in the room. "Italy, Austria and Hungary are here."

Italy gave no indication that he had heard, only pressed his brush against the canvas and made a few tiny strokes in the upper right hand corner, gnawing on his lower lip.

"Italy."

Still nothing.

"Italy!"

_Here it comes._

"ITALY!" Germany bellowed, and only then did Italy startle out of his thoughts, leaping up to attention so fast that he knocked over one of the small buckets of mixed paint set around his chair. German groaned and all but leapt from his original spot to contain the mess while Italy, realizing that they weren't actually training, relaxed and caught site of the pair in the doorway.

"Big sister Hungary!" he cried, nearly knocking over his canvas in his haste to reach them (Germany groaned again and managed to steady the piece of work before it was ruined completely). Italy flung his arms around Hungary's waist, the other nation's arms already open and waited to receive her hug. Hungary let out a pleased cry as she crushed the other nation against her, looking all too happy to have her adoptive son/little brother in her arms again.

"Look at you!" she cried, pushing Italy back so she could get a better look at him. "You've grown so much since I last saw you!"

Germany and Austria exchanged amused glances as Hungary continued to fuss. Of course Italy hadn't actually grown since the last time he and Hungary had spoke, but perhaps out of habit she remarked of his growth each time. Italy never seemed to mind, on the contrary he seemed to bask in the attention from his self proclaimed big sister.

_Must be an Italian thing_

Even so, Austria mused to himself, he couldn't deny that seeing the pair together brought back warm memories of a time when they had lived together as something like a family. They'd been considerably younger then, Italy hardly bigger than the cats he would try to sneak in the house as pets during his youth, Hungary wearing her traditional dress yet lacking any of the grace and poise she'd be forced to gain when they were later married.

_But __**he's **__not here…_

And that fact alone muddled to otherwise perfect picture the image created.

Austria's suddenly solemn face did not go unnoticed by the other three in the room, and before he could school his features into something more appropriate, he found himself too locked in one of Italy's hugs, his arms pinned down to his sides before he could prepare to return it. He blinked and blushed, at a loss of what to do with his arms immobilized.

In the back of his head he realized it'd been a while since he'd been hugged like this.

"Ve. Austria came too!" Italy cried into his chest, bounding light on the balls of his feet in barely suppressed joy for the company. "Germany said we were having company but he never said who! I thought maybe he'd invited big brother Romano over because he was in a _really_ bad mood when I called him last night and he always yells and swears more when he has to talk about Germany, but then again he's always in a bad mood when big brother Spain has to meet with his boss and he can't come with, but even if you're not Romano I'm glad you both came over! Not that I don't love Romano, I do! But you two don't swear as much, ve…"

And Austria would have had to possess a heart of stone not to smile at his ex-charge's adorable tangle of words and explanations. Italy was no fighter but someone who could worm his way into everyone's hearts, carve out a place for himself, and curl up there safe and tight. Austria knew he was no exception, he had been something of a father to the nation, after all.

"We're both happy to be here too Italy." He replied, and he would have patted the younger nation of the head if he had free use of his arms, which were slowly beginning to ache from blood loss. "Although I'm sorry to have interrupted you during your painting. What were you working on?"

Italy's head jerked back and he released Austria abruptly. "Oh, I forgot the painting!"

He spun around and jogged back to his workspace, quickly scanning the area and looking satisfied when he realized that nothing had been disturbed too badly. "Ve, Germany, did you clean up the spilled paint already? Thank you!"

The named nation signed and fixed Italy with scolding, though slightly indulgent look. "It's fine, just be more careful next time."

"Of course, of course." Italy hummed, waving his hand in a way that suggested he already forgotten them request as he took his seat in front of the canvas again. "And it's really not that good since I'm painting from memory. I wish I could do better memory paintings…"

Austria gave his arms a few quick shakes to encourage his blood to flow normally again, Hungary taking note of the action and chuckling quietly. When he was satisfied Austria shot her a mock irritated look before walking over to see the painting, while Hungary only chuckled louder.

And he stopped.

Well…if this was what Italy considered 'bad', Austria would never attempt painting again.

It was not the garden that Italy had captured on his canvas, but a scene from the famous Venetian canals, several centuries ago judging by the clothes the few people in the picture were wearing. The main focus of the piece appeared to be gondola. It was a beautiful thing, elaborate and rich looking, obviously belonging to someone of high standing. But it was sitting awkwardly in the canal, titled on its side, and it appeared to be too large to pass through. The sky in the piece had yet to be painted, but judging from the gold cleverly painted in with the swirling dark blue water and the gleaming cast on the boat, he would guess the image was meant to be cast in the light of the setting sun. A mother and daughter in longs skirts and headscarves were walking away from the scene while a man on the other side was leaning over to get a better view of the titled boat. Every detail of the painting so far, from the man's expression of absolute bewilderment to the little girl's arms thrown up into the sky as she tried to catch sunlight between her hands, was flawless.

"Italy…this is…" Austria let the sentence hang as he stared at the beautiful artwork, trying to find words that properly captured the painting's quality. "This is all from memory?"

"Yep!" Italy replied, unaware of the awe in which they were regarding his work. "A long time ago back when I was doing some checking around the canals, some old rich guy was complaining that his boat had gotten stuck and wanted me to do something about it. I told him it was too big and he needed to make it smaller and I wouldn't budge on the subject, not even when he offered me sweets! Eventually he agreed to make it smaller."

Germany hummed in response, and although his eyes were trained on the painting his mind seemed to be elsewhere. He had his chin cupped in one hand and seemed to contemplated something, and only when the oven alarm went off did he snap out of his head, straightening up and turning towards the kitchen without a word to see to them cake.

"It's gorgeous!" Hungary insisted, giving Italy a hug from behind as she looked at the painting. "I don't care what you say, I think it's one of the best you've done."

"Ve~. Then when I finish it, I'll give it to you!"

"Oh Italy, you don't have to do that."

"But I want to!" Italy insisted, turning around so he could awkwardly return the hug (spilling another bucket of paint in the process). "I like giving my paintings to people who like them"

The two continued their banter as Austria straightened and decided to leave the pair alone for a while. Germany had already removed the cake from the over and set in on a rack to cool while he reached up to grab a bottle of wine from the top of the cabinets where it had been resting.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Hm? Oh, you can take the cake in once it cools. Italy brought some desert wine too, to drink with it. I've never tried it before, but he assures me it's one of the best." Germany's lips were pressed into a thin line as though he weren't sure whether to believe his words or not. He wasn't one for wine.

"I think Italy will understand if you chose to drink a beer instead."

"No no, I'll drink it. If Italy recommends it, it must be good. He has a good taste for these things."

"True. Oh, and Italy spilled a bit more paint"

"What?" the man groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead in exasperation and he stalked out of his kitchen, muttering angrily to himself. "Why is he so careless? I don't even know…"

Austria chuckled quietly to himself as he walked over to where the cake was sitting holding his hand hesitantly over the chocolate and strawberry desert. Judging it cool enough to move, he lifted the cake and brought it into the sitting room for the others, but not before stealing a few chocolate smothered strawberry slivers from the top for himself.

What could he say? He had moments of weakness like everyone else.

x-x-x-x-x-x

It had been a very pleasant afternoon. Between bites of a delicious strawberry filled chocolate cake and sips of a sweet strawberry wine the four had managed to hold conversations on several topics ranging from the weather to whose national dish was the best tasting. Anything involving politics, economy, or the strange happenings of the nations was carefully avoided, and when he and Germany had gotten locked into some sort of conversation concerning beer, Hungary and Italy had simply nodded, even though Austria realized later that they had been speaking German the whole time. It had been an unnerving realization, but neither of them had felt brave enough to bring the subject up.

_We think if we ignore them problem, it'll go away._

When Germany had begun to clean p the dirty plates and glasses, Austria had gone to talk to him under the guise of helping. When the pair where safely in the kitchen Austria had carefully stacked the dishes beside the sink before turning to face the younger nation.

"I don't know." Germany answered before he could say anything, leaning against the fridge and resting his head in his hands. "I really don't know Austria. This past week he was so exhausted, he couldn't get out of bed on his own. He could hardly crack a joke about it. And then I come downstairs to cook breakfast for him and all of a sudden he's just sitting their, chatting with that silly bird of his while something was burning on the stove and looking healthier than he's been in months. I don't know how or why, even Prussia doesn't know how or why."

_No one knows why this is happening. _

There was no reason for Prussia to be well. He had no country to tie him to existence. 

_I'm not sorry that he's well. But he __**shouldn't**__ be._

He let out a sign and sank back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling through the darkness of his room. He was tired and wanted nothing more to sink into sleep, but the thoughts continued to circle in his mind and keep him awake.

_Have I really become so lazy from lack of war that I'll grasp onto anything out of the ordinary to entertain me?_

All of sudden he was starting to feel really tired.

_I'm so…  
><em>

_..confused…._

x-x-x-x-x-x

_He was standing in the middle of a green, hilly field underneath a bright blue sky. The sun beat down on him, but it didn't feel as hot as it should have. On the contrary, it felt abnormally cool. The land was empty, he could see no other sign of life save for himself. It was a pretty place, but not unique in any sense of the word. Green glass. Blue sky. Yellow sun. It might have been a picture from any child's coloring book._

_He could hear footsteps behind him, light on the soft grass, and he stiffened instantly. He couldn't say why, but somehow he knew that whomever was behind him was nation like him, but much more powerful. Austria was a small country, and compared to whoever was behind him, he knew he was almost insignificant._

_But who?_

"_Turn around and look if you want to know!" a voice called out. It was deep and powerful, but he could sense laughter behind the tone and it calmed him, although he did not allow himself to relax. Slowly, stiffly, he turned to face the stranger and stared._

_He was taller and more built than him, dressed in gold and leather with a blood red, tattered cloak flowing in the non-existent wind. His face was handsome and a smile nearly cut his it in two as he approached Austria. He looked familiar, but Austria didn't know why or where from._

_Until he noticed the curls arching up familiarly from the dark brown hair._

_Impossible!_

_"Nope! Nothing's impossible here. At least, most things aren't. But I'm glad you actually recognize me! The last time I went to visit one of Germania's descendants he tried to shoot me with one of those guns of yours! You're a hot-blooded lot, you are. Pretty attractive though!"_

_Austria froze and went pale as The Roman Empire slung an arm around his neck, pulling him close in a one armed hug. "Yes, you're not too bad looking. Don't have his eyes or hair though, but then again you aren't as closely related. Austria, huh? A pleasure to meet you!"_

_Austria blinked once twice, trying to figure out the best reply to that statement. He was currently head locked by one of the most powerful nations the world had ever known, and he had no idea what to do about it._

"_I…thank you. It's very nice to meet you as well."_

"_And he's polite!" Rome exclaimed, finally releasing him and clapping him heartily on the back. "You're no Italian, but you've got some charm. I like you!"_

_Another clap on that back (those were really starting to hurt) and Rome finally turned to face him, grinning all the while. "But I'm not here to pile complements on you, not today. Austria, you've lived for a long time, haven't you?"_

_One eyebrow went up. "In truth, I think that's a bit of an understatement"_

"_Of course it is!" Rome answered back, laughing. "No, I don't doubt it. I led that life, I know how it is. That's why I'm kinda jealous about the opportunity I'm about to offer you. Back when I was alive this could never happen. The world was too chaotic."_

"_I...I'm sorry to hear that."_

"_Nah, don't be. The place where I am isn't all that bad, I can annoy Germania all day and the women are all gorgeous. But I'm happy to be the one to give it. Tell me Austria. Are there things you want to do? Things outside your duties as a country?"_

"_I've never allowed myself to think like that."_

"_Aw, humor me! It's just us guys here, after all. Not like your boss or anyone else'll hear us."_

_Austria wanted to say no, wanted to walk away and wake up from this strange dream (because it had to be a dream, the Roman Empire was dead). He wanted to pretend the question hadn't struck him, wanted to pretend he'd never wondered what he could do with his time if it belonged to him completely. But something in those imploring, bright eyes gave him pause, and he let out a frustrated sigh._

"_I suppose if I didn't have the duties of my country to think about, I'd be able to focus more on piano. Maybe I would teach, or compose something for an orchestra. Maybe I could learn to play other instruments. I could have time for baking or visiting other places in Austria, actually be able to interact with my people instead of keeping away from them. I don't have any grand plans."_

"_That's not surprising. How many wars have you fought in? I think you deserve to kick back and relax a bit." Rome took a seat on the grass and after a few minutes Austria reluctantly sat down beside him. "And would you do it alone?"_

"_I…what?"_

"_Got your eye on anyone special? Or maybe a good friend you'd like to do some of those things with?"_

_It took all of his willpower not to imagine green eyes sparkling with amusement and in the end he still failed. "I do have one good friend of mine. We've only be able to reunite recently, so I can't say I'm eager to part from her just yet."_

"_Ah, a girl huh? I know how that works. Well, I hope you take full advantage of my opportunity then! You don't look like a guy to waste things, Austria. You're like that other descent of Germania's who likes to shoot people. So I'm not worried that you'll take advantage of what's going to happen and that you'll make the best of it."_

_Austria felt his stomach lurch, and not because he'd just been compared to a trigger-happy Switzerland. "I…I don't understand. What changes?"_

"_Oh, I'm not going to be the one to tell you! I'll leave that to my grandson. Even as we speak he's trying to call you, so I'd better let you wake up."_

"_Wake up?"_

_Rome chuckled and stood, pulling the dazed nation with him. "You're dreaming Austria. I couldn't talk to you otherwise. But I gotta go and talk to all your other nations friends and prepare them because trust me, this is gonna be the shock of your life."_

"_My life? I don't understand!"_

"_But you will!" Rome insisted, laughing. The laugh didn't sound normal, but high pitched and screeching, like an alarm. "See ya Austria!"_

_And suddenly the ground disappeared beneath him and Austria was falling…falling…falling…._

"_Or should I say, Roderich Edelstein"_

x-x-xx-

Austria snapped upright, letting out a few chocking coughs as sweat beaded and ran down his forehead. He took a few deep, harsh breaths and he ran his hands through his damp hair, trying to get his bearings. He was in a bed, his bed, in his room.

It had all been a dream.

But his phone was ringing. The same loud, irritating ring that had echoed in Rome's laugh.

But that…

Did that mean…?

With shaking hands, Austria reached down to answer the phone, lifting it to his ear.

"Austria!" Italy let out a wail as the other nation finally lifted his phone. "It's horrible!"

"What is?" he asked in a whisper, though he realized with a sinking heart that he already knew the answer.

"_Because trust me, this is gonna be the shock of your life."_

"Something's happened Austria, we aren't nations anymore!"

**x-x-x-x-x**

**I have a feel this won't shock anyone, but I'm glad I finally got to this point. Finally things can start happening!**

**I'm sorry this chapter was a bit later than usual, my laptop has been broken for a while so I've needed to use my mother's. Until I can get it fixed, updates will continue to take a bit longer. Sorry! ):**

**As always, thank you so much to those of you were kind enough to read/favorite/review this story. It's always encouraging to get feedback/see people enjoying my work. For Americans, I hope you had an awesome fourth, and for any of you outside the U.S, I hope things are awesome for you in general. See you next time! :D**


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